Bingo players evacuated as fire strikes factory

Bingo players were among 21 people evacuated when a fire broke out at a factory in Wolverhampton.

Four employees from Wolverhampton Pressings Co Ltd, in Fordhouse Road, Bushbury, had to be evacuated after the welding yard they were working in caught fire.

And 17 people were forced to leave the neighbouring London Midland Railway Club Assocation's Bushbury branch because of potentially noxious fumes coming from the blaze. They sang songs in the afternoon sunshine as they waited to be allowed back in to the social club.

Fire crews from Tettenhall were called to the scene just after 1.45pm yesterday after a paint sprayer caught fire.

A team of nine tackled the blaze for three hours. Station officer Paul Baker said: " There is severe smoke damage to the building but I don't think there is any structural damage.

"At the moment we don't know what the cause was but the fire was kicking up some noxious fumes so we had to evacuate the social club as well."

Wolverhampton Pressings director Paul Tanner said he had no idea how much it would cost to repair or replace the charred paint sprayer, but he added the damage to the rest of the building appeared minimal.

He added: "We were alerted to the fire by a receptionist who saw the flames. We employ 50 people but only four people had to be evacuated until the smoke was cleared."

London Midland club co-organiser Kay Spencer, aged 56, from Fallings Park, said: "Our members all seemed OK. They were just worried about missing their bingo. It is what they come down for, to play and to meet people."